Most indie MMORPGs fail within a few months after entering Early Access. However, 2019 saw the rise of a small Polish MMORPG, Gloria Victis, which gained traction on Steam largely under the radar of most MMORPG fans.
What is so special about Gloria Victis? Actually, “Indie” and “MMORPG” are hard to combine. While indie MMORPGs are viewed as a sort of “last hope” for many fans in the West, because big publishers hardly develop MMORPGs anymore, numerous indie MMORPGs fizzle out, either never make it to release or are only sparse in their further development.
The great ambitions often envisioned by MMORPGs are difficult to reconcile with the small team size of an indie MMORPG. In recent years, there have been many disappointments, and some MMORPGs that sounded great on paper never saw the light of day.
However, Gloria Victis seems to be doing well on Steam. The sandbox MMORPG has been in Early Access since 2016, experienced a surge in October 2018, and has stabilized and continued to grow in 2019.
What kind of MMORPG is Gloria Victis? It is a medieval MMORPG focused on realism. Crafting and PvP play important roles. Players are not guided like in a theme park but enjoy a lot of freedom.
The good development of the game by the indie developers is particularly praised.
Gloria Victis is also considered quite brutal and only suitable for “adults.” NPCs use language that is not suitable for minors.
This is how player numbers have developed:
The MMORPG has been playable on Steam since 2016 and has developed well over the years:
- After the hype at the release, Gloria Victis hovered between 60 and 100 players in 2016 and 2017.
- At the beginning of 2018, it increased to about 150 players on average.
- Since about October 2018, a major turning point occurred. Since then, about 330 people have been online on Steam, peaking at around 700. This surge from October 2018 was largely maintained throughout 2019.
In addition to Steam, Gloria Victis also has its own client.
A niche MMORPG for €10 on sale
This is what the reviews say: An upward trend can also be seen in the reviews. While the reviews on Steam have been balanced over the last 3 years (68%), there has been a trend towards “mostly positive” in the last 30 days (77%).
Reviews praise the mass PvP in the game: the sieging of fortresses is seen by many as the highlight of Gloria Victis. Raiding with small groups is also well received by Steam players.
It is pointed out that the game only costs $20 ($10 on sale) and thus offers good value for money.
Criticism points include the cumbersome combat system, which seems to have a steep learning curve.
This is what lies behind it: Gloria Victis will probably never become a mass MMORPG, but it is an example that indie MMORPGs have a chance to develop further out of Early Access on Steam, retain players, and lead a better career than most other MMORPGs.
